Pac-12 Breakdown: Inside the numbers
National Signing Day 2017 is less than three months away, so this week we take a look at some of the more interesting numbers coming out of the Pac-12 for this class, and the next.
14 - Highest team ranking of any Pac-12 team
No team in the Pac-12 has a top 10 recruiting class at the moment as Arizona sits atop the conference at No. 14. That’s not an incredibly good sign for schools in the conference, unless many of them have big-time finishes and can shoot up the chart.
The Wildcats’ class has many impressive commitments, but they’re largely at the top because of another number – 27 – the amount of pledges already secured and not average star ranking (3.0), so their hold on the top spot is likely to change leading up to National Signing Day as other teams round out their classes.
Still, despite having a terrible season, Arizona has recruited well. Four-star commits Greg Johnson, Braxton Burmeister and Nathan Tilford lead the way. Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei DT Austin Faoliu could be a major sleeper.
2 - Number of five-stars committed to Pac-12 schools
To compete at the highest level, against the Alabamas and Michigans of the world, five-star prospects are needed. The Pac-12 programs have a lot of ground to make up in the coming months before Signing Day.
As it stands at this point, Stanford has a five-star commitment from quarterback Davis Mills out of Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian and UCLA landed defensive end Jaelan Phillips from Redlands (Calif.) East Valley.
From California, five-star running back Najee Harris – the top-rated recruit in the class – is committed to Alabama and five-star offensive lineman Wyatt Davis is headed to Ohio State.
There is good news for Pac-12 teams, however. Five-star Darnay Holmes is really serious about UCLA (along with Michigan, Ohio State and others), five-star receiver Joseph Lewis is looking closely at USC (along with Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama and many others) and five-star offensive tackle Foster Sarell out of Graham (Wash.) Graham-Kapowsin has Stanford at the top of his list.
Landing those five-stars will be important for the conference over the coming years.
3.71 - Highest average star rating in Pac-12
Stanford is expected to sign a really small class this recruiting cycle, which means the Cardinal probably won’t have an impressive ranking nationwide come Signing Day because the numbers will be so low.
But for Stanford’s class, it’s clear sometimes quality is more important than quantity.
Mills is a five-star quarterback who leads the class and four-stars Colby Parkinson, Sione Lund and Osiris St. Brown could bring a much-needed pop to Stanford’s offense.
Parkinson is a lean tight end, but he’s a matchup nightmare in the slot and that’s one reason why he’s the second-ranked prospect at his position in the class. Lund is a versatile RB/LB who can contribute all over the field. And St. Brown is a smart, savvy, athletic receiver who has excellent hands.
Stanford’s class is not large in numbers but has tremendous talent and explosiveness, especially on the offensive side.
12 - Number of four- and three-stars in Washington's 13-man class
Washington is having a tremendous season so far and could be in the College Football Playoff and the Huskies are also recruiting really well, especially with in-state talent.
Coach Chris Petersen and his staff have seven four-stars and five three-stars committed but are still looking for that first five-star. Could it be Sarell if he decides to stay closer to home? Unlikely, but not out of question.
Either way, the Huskies have to love their class so far. Speedster Salvon Ahmed, tight end Hunter Bryant and two-way star Connor Wedington are all in-state players who could be special additions to the class.
Right now, the top four committed prospects in the state are all going to Washington. That’s an incredible job by Petersen and his staff.
19 - Number of 2018 commits in West region
Nineteen prospects in the West’s 2018 class are already committed and the quarterback position has been especially impacted early on.
Five-star Matt Corral from Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian has picked USC and four-stars Cameron Rising, Jacob Sirmon and Colson Yankoff have picked Oklahoma, Washington and Oregon, respectively.
It’s been busy for juniors out West.
If not for the BYU recruiting class, that number would be greatly diminished. The Cougars already have eight pledges from the West in their 2018 recruiting class as first-year coach Kalani Sitake has been especially aggressive on the recruiting trail.